Client
Chick-fil-A
Agency
AKQA
Role
Creative & Design Direction
Year
2021-23
Challenge
As part of the retainer team, we worked on numerous customer engagement projects.
Selected Projects
At AKQA, our team was tasked with designing innovative ways for Chick-fil-A to connect with customers throughout their journey—from brand discovery to fostering long-term loyalty. This included enhancing the website experience and crafting distinctive brand campaigns, culminating in the launch of a unique entertainment platform, Chick-fil-A Play. Through these efforts, we attracted new customers, deepened brand affinity with existing ones, and earned several prestigious awards.
▲ Chick-fil-a.com
For this project, our team introduced a redesigned system for presenting scalable content, alongside comprehensive guides for implementing the new modular framework. A key highlight was the development of a versatile Hero Module tailored to Chick-fil-A's unique business requirements. This module enabled dynamic day-part promotions and various ordering options, supporting business momentum across different segments. Additionally, we strategically leveraged periods when restaurants were closed, such as Sundays, by shifting the focus to Catering Orders. This approach significantly boosted sales in those segments while maximizing engagement opportunities.
Furthermore, we reimagined the Careers section with a focus on usability and accessibility, optimizing its structure and functionality across the site. This included redesigning pages, refining content, and presenting job offerings in a clear, intuitive manner. To improve discoverability, we introduced location-based filtering, allowing prospective candidates to easily view current openings directly on specific restaurant detail pages. This user-centered approach ensured that career paths were not only easy to find but also visually and contextually engaging, making the job search process seamless and aligned with user needs.
Results
The Home Page Refresh achieved an 8% increase in revenue and attracted 137,000 daily unique visitors upon launch.
The Careers Page Refresh gained substantial internal support, facilitating a smoother transition for operators to the new ATS approach.
▲ Shop Chick-fil-A
We seized the opportunity to elevate Chick-fil-A's merchandise offerings by overhauling their e-commerce platform with a user-focused and visually engaging approach. Our team re-architected the site to support a dynamic shopping experience, enabling the launch of seasonal collections and limited-time product drops throughout the year.
The project encompassed end-to-end UX design, site architecture, and art direction, ensuring flexibility for the internal team to create distinct visual themes for each collection. By crafting a scalable system that balanced brand consistency with creative adaptability, we empowered Chick-fil-A to seamlessly engage customers and build anticipation for their exclusive merchandise releases.
Results
Average 900k visitors per month
This e-commerce site serves as a virtual extension of Chick-fil-A’s commitment to warmth and customer connection, bringing fans closer to the brand through curated merchandise collections that reflect shared values and Chick-fil-A’s unique spirit.
▲ Code Moo
After a three-year hiatus, Chick-fil-A reimagined Cow Appreciation Day as a digital adventure to engage fans without overwhelming its restaurants. We developed Code Moo, an interactive experience where users solved clues to help the beloved Cows thwart their nemesis, Circus Burger. Combining playful animations with 360-degree backdrops of iconic U.S. landmarks, the game offered a nationwide, immersive journey filled with surprises and prizes.
With over 28.5 million game sessions in four weeks, 12 million rewards claimed, and 1.4 million new loyalty subscribers, Code Moo brought joyful discovery back to the brand, reinforcing its fun and engaging identity.
Results:
22 million guest sessions
84% completion rate
23.5k peak users per second
442,000 new loyalty sign-ups
265% increase in sign-ups
Help launch their new Code Moo Original Stories
▲ Chick-fil-A Play App
Since 2019, Chick-fil-A has launched unique holiday campaigns, with The Stories of Evergreen Hills standing out as a significant success. This campaign not only captured attention but also sparked interest in exploring high-quality, family-focused content as a new strategic avenue.
2024 marks a pivotal year for Chick-fil-A with the launch of the CFA Play app, designed to deliver engaging family entertainment and shared experiences. Our team at AKQA played a key role from the earliest concepts to the app's inception, shaping a digital experience centered on categories like Watch, Play, Create, Listen, and Read.
We developed the foundational framework for the experience and created the first MVP features for the app's market debut. Some of the features I contributed to include Read, Word of the Day, Conversation Starters, Go Go Cow, and Joke Generator, with additional features in the pipeline.